


Bookstore Boy

by TheSadisticMunchkin



Category: Night at the Museum (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bookstore, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bookstores, First Meetings, Fluff, M/M, Photography student Ahk, Pining, Single Parents, Twisted and Fluffy Feelings, idk how else to tag this, idk what i wrote, tablet guardians, wtf is this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-20
Updated: 2015-06-20
Packaged: 2018-04-05 07:12:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4170765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSadisticMunchkin/pseuds/TheSadisticMunchkin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The worst part is that he never even learned his name. Or maybe it is that he’ll never see him again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bookstore Boy

**Author's Note:**

> Hi Krista!
> 
> Anyway, this probably sucks ass. Really. I don't know what I was writing half the time. You may tell me how much I suck.
> 
> Just a heads up, Ahk is about 22 in this fic and Larry is 29.

            It was a single glance.

 

            He wore a hoodie that seemed way too big on him. His dark curly hair slightly wet from the sudden rain a few minutes ago. His bright, gray eyes shining with kindness as he gave Larry a shy wave. He tried to wave back, truly he did, but all that he managed to do was give a lopsided smile that felt more like a grimace. He wasn’t very good with first impressions anyway.

 

            But the dark haired man seemed to take it in stride and he smiled back. It filled Larry with relief to know he wasn’t entirely hopeless when it comes to these things. Now he was walking here. _Shit_. Where should he put his hands? He tried to rest his arm on top of one of the lower bookshelves but he was quick to underestimate its actual height. He ended up placing one hand behind his back and one on his neck.

 

            _That’s very attractive, Larry. This is why you’re divorced._

 

            “Hello.” _Shit. Play it cool, Larry._ “Uh—“ _That’s gone off to a good start._ “I couldn’t help but notice your shirt.” Larry blinked for a second before he looked down at what he was wearing. Right. He was wearing the Hufflepuff shirt his wife bought him before everything fell to shit. Well, they were 19 and supposedly in love. He didn’t know marrying young was going to be a bad idea until he held the divorce papers in his hand.

 

            Now he was losing his train of thought. _God damn it, Larry! Focus!_

“I quite like it.” The guy was smiling at him again. This boy was too pretty for his own good. And Larry hasn’t responded after a full minute. He knows this because the boy’s smile was wavering and doubt started to shine in those kind eyes. “Um… Thank you! I—uh…” He was drawing a blank. Fuck. He quickly gave the boy a once over that he hoped was unnoticeable.

 

            His eyes landed briefly on his black hoodie. The sleeves were folded up to his elbows, which made him look more attractive than what was humanly possible. The print on his hoodie caught his attention, finally, and he saw that it said _NERDFIGHTERS_ in big bold letters. “I like your hoodie.” He said a bit too fast for his liking. The boy once again gave him that fucking _smile_ that seemed to light up the room with its sincerity.

 

            “So, you like sci-fi books?” He was confused for a second; it seems to be happening a lot with this guy, before he realized he was in the sci-fi section of the bookstore. “Uh—Yeah! I was just passing the time.” The grey-eyed boy nodded before stroking the spine of one of the unwrapped books. Larry found himself staring a bit too much at how his long, slender fingers caressed the book as if it was a treasure, a fragile piece.

 

            “Do you happen to know where _‘Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’_ is? I’ve been looking everywhere and I can’t find it.” Larry was just about to answer when he felt a small tug on the hem of his shirt. “Dad? I want to go home.” He looked down and saw his 10-year-old son, Nicky. He never thought he would call his son, his own flesh and blood, a cockblock but here he is: being a fucking cockblock. “Um s-sure thing, buddy! Just wait for me right outside okay?”

 

            Thankfully, Nicky got the message and left them alone. Larry turned back to the boy with the nerdfighters hoodie. “I don’t want to keep your son waiting. I’ll find the book myself.” _No, don’t leave_. “It was nice talking to you.” He said and all Larry could do was slam his head on the nearest bookshelf as the boy walked away.

 

            Jesus, it’s not like he had a chance.

 

            The worst part is that he never even learned his name. Or maybe it is that he’ll never see him again.

* * *

 

            He wasn’t exactly _wrong_.

 

            He did see him again, thank God, but it had to be at the worst possible time. He was chaperoning at his son’s field trip to the Museum of Natural History. Rebecca, the tour guide, was going through the exhibits fairly quickly because the class came late and she had to entertain another group in 10 minutes.

 

            He saw him when they were at the Ancient Egyptian exhibit that housed a pharaoh whose name he couldn’t remember. He was wearing a different hoodie, this time with the words “ _Too Dark?”_ printed across the front in script. He didn’t know if it was a pun he couldn’t get or an inside joke. Either way, he still caught him staring. And he fucking did it again.

 

            He smiled.

 

            He smiled and held up the hand that wasn’t holding the camera hung around his neck to wave. Larry honestly tried to smile back but fate wasn’t having it today. He almost lost track of his son’s group when he looked away. He turned his head back to where he saw him after he made sure his group didn’t leave him but saw that he left.

 

            He let him slip away _again_ and he _still_ doesn’t know his name.

 

            All he can do now is follow the group to Sacagawea’s section and try to figure out why he fucks up so much.

* * *

            “Dad, you’re doing it again.”

 

            “Doing what?”

 

            “Being miserable and acting like I don’t know about it.”

 

            “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Nicky. I’m fine.”

 

            “Whatever you say, dad.”

 

            Larry glanced at his reflection briefly in the rearview mirror and tried to fix his son with a smile. Man, he looked grumpy today. More so than the week after that field trip to the museum. “I’m fine, Nicky. Don’t worry about me.” He tried to sound reassuring but it seemed that his son wasn’t having it. Thankfully though, he just sat back in his seat and looked out the window with a sigh.

 

            He matched his son’s sigh immediately after and just focused on the road. This was getting ridiculous. He’s not the kind of person to obsess over a person he met over 3 months ago. A man, he had to remind himself frequently, whose name he still doesn’t know. Yet he couldn’t get those grey eyes out of his mind. The eyes that seemed to hold the universe and the smile that filled his heart with warmth.

 

            He was in too deep without knowing who the boy really was.

 

            He tried to shake the thoughts of bookstore boy out of his mind while he was driving but that proved to be a difficult feat. Because bookstore boy was crossing the street.

 

            Shit. Bookstore boy was crossing the street.

 

            He slammed his foot on the breaks just in time and he thankfully stopped right in front of the crosswalk. The dark haired man didn’t notice that he was almost ran over by a daydreaming driver because of the earphones in his ears. He barely registered Nicky’s voice calling to him in a panicked tone as he watched the man safely cross the road. He found it strangely endearing that he was absentmindedly bobbing his head to the music.

 

            “Dad!”

 

            Larry blinked rapidly, snapping out of his self-induced haze before turning to his son. He can almost see his heart beating out of his chest. “What was that all about, dad? You scared me!”

 

            “I-I’m sorry, Nicky. I almost hit a pedestrian.” He ran a single hand through his son’s hair with a reassuring smile. “Are you alright? You’re not hurt?” Nicky managed to give him a single headshake and he sighed with relief. “I’m so sorry buddy. I promise I’ll never hurt you.” He reached over to place a single kiss on the crown of Nicky’s head before starting the car up again.

 

            He didn’t notice how Nicky was staring at him throughout the entire trip home.

* * *

 

            “And he’s staring off into space sometimes, mom!”

 

            “Have you tried talking to him?”

 

            Nicky shook his head as he took another sip of his mom’s homemade milkshake. “He would wave it off whenever I bring it up.” Erica sighed at that and leaned back into her chair. She’s seen this sort of behavior before with Larry. Heck, this was how he was when they first became friends. “Maybe I shouldn’t have interrupted him in the bookstore.” Nicky murmured under his breath but Erica still heard it.

 

            “Bookstore?” Her son looked up from his milkshake and shrugged his shoulders. “Dad was talking to some stranger and I told him I wanted to go home.” Nicky flinched a little bit when his mom gave him that _look_. The look that said she was disappointed he did something but not mad enough to scold him. Then, suddenly, his mother got another look in her eyes. “Nicky, was he hunching his shoulders more than normal?”

 

            “Yes?” He answered, slightly confused.

 

            “Blushing a bit?”

 

            “Now that you mention it… yeah.”

 

            Then something clicked in Erica’s mind. “Nicky, he was probably trying to flirt with that stranger.”

 

            “Oh.” Now he felt stupid.

 

            “Yeah. _Oh_. Finish up your milkshake, I’m dropping you off at your father’s.”

* * *

 

            It wasn’t that Larry was disappointed that Erica brought Nicky to him a day early. He did loved seeing his son. But this was the day he was planning on going back to the bookstore. He hoped to see that guy again, probably still looking for _Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy_ or some other nerdy book. Maybe he was also into history. Who knows? He never really asked.

 

            Now he can’t really do that. He’s got a ten-year-old son to entertain.

 

            “I’ll pick him up on Wednesday next week, okay?”

 

            “That’s a day more than what we agreed on.” Larry said with a raised eyebrow.

 

            “Yeah well… I brought him a day _early_. So it justifies it.” With a smile that told him not to argue with her, she kissed him on the cheek goodbye and ruffled Nicky’s hair lovingly. “See you on Wednesday!” Larry listened as the click-clack of her heels faded down the hallway and he closed the door the second he couldn’t hear it anymore. “So Nicky, what do you want to do?” His son looked up from his shoes and gave him a little smile.

 

            Larry knew that smile. He knew that smile too well.

 

            “I want to go to the bookstore.”

 

            He can’t help but get the feeling that Erica had something to do with this.

* * *

            Nicky immediately ran into the bookstore, straight into a section that had tall shelves filled with comic books. It was a fairly small bookstore anyway; Larry figured he would be able to find him afterwards. He subconsciously headed towards the sci-fi section, hoping against hope that he’ll see him there. He, ironically, was able to find  _Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy_ on the first try.

 

            He grabbed it just in case.

 

            His son was still nowhere in sight so he decided to keep walking around the sci-fi section. Larry read the back of the book in his hand – since when did they put book reviews rather than the actual summary now? – And found himself almost at the end of the section. He looked up from the book and practically did a double take. There he was. He was actually there.

 

            And he was wearing the same hoodie.

 

            _All right Larry, this is your chance_. He took a deep breath, casually checking if it smelled bad (It didn’t) and slowly walked over to the guy. He was deeply engrossed in an unwrapped copy of _Boy Meets Boy._ His hands were shaking a little bit as he held his own book against his chest. His walk towards him felt almost like hours when in reality it was only a couple of seconds.

 

            “E-Excuse me?” Fucking hell, he stuttered again. So much for looking cool. Bookstore boy looked up and those brilliant grey eyes lit up in recognition. “Hey! I didn’t think I’d ever see you again.” _Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit._ He placed _Boy Meets Boy_ back on the shelf and gave Larry a bright smile. Larry continued to stare at him, his face muscles apparently forgetting how to smile back.

 

            Then he remembered. The book.

 

            Larry looked down at the book in his hands and he got an idea. “Have you found this yet?” He handed the book to the boy and – he didn’t think it was humanly possible – he smiled even wider. “Now I have.” The boy gently grabbed the book with both hands, his slight contact with Larry’s own hand making him shiver. A beat of silence passed before Larry spoke again. “You’re wearing the same hoodie.”

 

            “You’re not wearing the same shirt.”

 

            “Maybe it’s because I own a washing machine.”

 

            Oh man that fucking smile will be the death of him. How can somebody look that cute? Nobody should be allowed to look this attractive. Then he heard a chuckle escape from his lips. “I assure you, I did wash this hoodie. It has been 3 months since I last saw you.”

 

            “It’s only been a week since _I_ last saw you.” The boy raised an eyebrow in question and Larry quickly went to eradicate any irrational conclusions. “Long story short, I kind of almost ran you over with my car.” A look of understanding dawned on the boy’s ethereally handsome features and Larry shuffled awkwardly in his place. He felt almost inferior to the way this guy held himself.

 

            “That explains why I faintly heard car horns when I was crossing the street. I’m sorry I wasn’t paying attention.” The boy tilted his head slightly, giving Larry a lopsided smile. “By the way, I never got your name.”

 

            “Um Larry. Larry Daley. What’s yours?”

 

            “I’ll only tell you my name if you promise not to laugh.”

 

            “Why would I laugh?”

 

            This was the first time Larry has seen the boy even the slightest bit bashful. “It’s Ahkmenrah.” Larry finally found his smile and Ahkmenrah took it as a good sign. “My family is apparently directly related to one of the pharaohs with the same name. It’s kind of weird.” He said all of this with a shy hand rubbing the back of his neck. “No, I think it’s interesting. Maybe you could tell me more about it over coffee?”

 

            _Ooh smooth, Daley! Where the fuck did that come from?_ Larry was mentally patting himself on the back as Ahkmenrah gave him a contemplative look. “Is this a date, Larry Daley?” Before Larry was able to respond, he heard someone shout, “YES!” from behind him. He turned around to see a very embarrassed ten-year-old with wide eyes and hands over his mouth. “Sorry! I’m not here!” Then he quickly ran back between the bookshelves.

 

            Ahkmenrah was full on laughing at this point and Larry thinks he’s probably never heard such a beautiful sound coming from a person’s lips.

**Author's Note:**

> @BookstoreBoy where u at


End file.
